Grounding stick



Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,252

T. F JOHNSON, JR

GROUNDING STICK Filed May 20. 1922 2 Sheets-Shut 2 'Tmlnaon FJohnOn, r. INVENTOR WITNESSES 4 Qa* BY Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

TOMLINSN'FORT JOHNSON, JR., 0F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

lcamminare STICK.

.application filed May v20, 1922. .Serial No. 562,381.

To allwzomit may cQncerf/L:

Be .itknown that I, ToMLINsoN F. JQHN- soN, ,Ir., a.citiz en ofthe United States, .residing a t. Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and .useful AGrounding Stick, of which the following is a specification.

4'Ihis invention relates to: grounding sticks fdrnse in cqnnection with line wiresor electrical ccnductdrs, especially. those carrying high voltage.

yIn carryingfout `the invention, I provide a pol-e or stick having nonfconduicting qualities. and capableo being readilyattached to or detached from a clamp which has spring jaws for automatically snapping over, the wire orcdnductor when the same iselevated bythe pole, the .said clamp having perinanently secured thereto oneA end of a lead g wire or extension, .which lmaybe used for shortcircuiting or grounding .the current, asin l the case of repairs. er dorA other ym aintenanee tpurposes, theotherend of lthe lead having permanently secured thereto a device for l detachable connection with Aa partof thesnpporting tower.

The grounding pole or stick `.is particularly. designed for use in connection with the clamp which is shown Vand described in my pending application; Serial No. 262,366, filed Nov. 13, 1918, which has since eventuated in ,Patent No. 1,500,498, the `said clamp being .modified to embody ymeans whereby the pole may be rigidly held lto the same, `or detached therefrom, means being provided therein for connectionwith vthe said lead `or extension.

A vfull ,and complete understanding `of l.the invention maybe obtained froma ccnsidera- .tion of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a ,part of this vspecification, it being .understood that while the drawings show. a practical form. of the in ventiQn, the latter is not confined to strict Yconformity therewith, but Ymay be `changed or -modiiech so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from-the .salientfeatures oi' the invention, .as specifically pointed out `in the appended claims.

Inthe drawings, in .which similar refer `ence characters `designate corresponding .parts throughout the .several ffigureszw- .:Fig 'l is .a front elevation :ofthedevice .attached t0.. a .line .wire when .usadas :a .dis-

or extension attached to, a ,portionbfl a s up;

ground the] current. thereporting tower to through.

Fie'- clamp andlead erentensiondetached frnrn thepole orplstick. i i

Fig. 4 is aeross, sectional de tailofl the pole or stick the .means for. detachably connecting the [sanieltnthe clamp. y

111 my -pliOrPate-llt, llt), I .disclosed al Sp1/:lne clamp .for ...electrical .,Qonduors similarin functionto that discle'sed in imy aforesaid ,appli cation` the 'said .'Clamp @lt1- ploying a stick by means of which'itcnnld be hooked Qntefthe-w1e-and thstlrmoved, thenclamp being left on the wire, the stick bnsthen .used in. handling Other Clamps r Itrequires .Considerable skillie'us@ the lstick. with theelamp shown Vin the aforesaidpatent, andthe special objcctot the presentinventionis todevlisea stick which may `bei used by {unskilled nien.

In ,this instance, the stick is .-rigidly bolted to the spring clamp, and serves as, ajpermanenthandle therefor. Itis ninelrrnore convenient ,for grounding lines than any other arrangement. `,Sometimes the lead `,wire from the, L819111.11@ .Clamp t0 the 'grounding `clamp is eight. or. yten feet long, which 4in connection. with the size pfthe stick varying in length` from siXto ten feet .would make'a very inCOnVenient ,bundle, if .carried ,tbgether. V I have, thereforddevised a connectionbetween the spring clamp and ,the-.pole or stick twhich, thongh rigid,;is capable of beingdetached for transpcrtation pnrpcses.

.Referring tothe drawings, kthere is illnstra-ted inV Fig. `l a clainp .indicatedgenerally by thennmeral l, andcomprising a'pair of coacting, spring actuated jaws2 and respectively, having their lower .pprtions flaring apart or away fromeach other, and

provided .withseats for aline lwire, 4,.,Which maybereadilyforced thereinto bya downward movement of theicla-mp, while the yjaws are in straddling relation to .the s aid wire, a pair of coiledsprings 5V beingemployed to exert a constant pressure .inwardly `on `the jaws 1.to 'cause .such clamping notion, as 4will Vbe readily understood. As .no specific .claim ismael@ harem to the .cnnstructllvnf 3 iS a ...Setellal View Showing. the' the clamping jaws proper, it is deemed unnecessary to further explain the same.

The lower flaring end of the jaw 2 is provided with a vertically disposed socket 6,

into which is secured the bared end of a.

. side thereof, to form an attaching arm 9 provided on its inner face with strengthening Vribs 10 arranged along the vertical margins of the same, and the opposite or outer face of the arm 9 is concaved, as indicated at 11 in Fig. 3 ofthe drawing. Adjacent to the lower end of the arm 9, and between the marginal ribs or flanges 10, is a circular passageway 12 having an upwardlyextending slot 13 communicating therewith, forming in effect a key-hole slot, and adapted, together with the concave face 11, to facilitate the connectionof. the clamp, to the grounding stick or pole, as will be eX- plained.r n

j A pole 14 formed of suitable wood of a diameter to be easilyhandled and preferably of from threeto twelve feet in length', is adapted to be secured to the above described clamp in a manner to permit of its ready removal vwhen desired and the quick re-application of the same. To this end, one end of the pole is providedv with a metallic ferrule 15 tightly fitting the same, and of a diameter conforming with the curvature ,of the concave face 11 of the extension of the clamp, a bolt 16 passing transversely through appropriate alined openings in the ferrule 15 and the confined end of the pole, and being adapted to secure the clamp to the end of the pole, by engaging the head 17 of the bolt in the contracted slot 13 of the arm, after the said head has been introduced through the opening 12, and then tightening up a thumb n'ut 18 at the opposite', threaded end of the bolt.' It will be seen that bv a single turn or two of the nut 18, the head of. the bolt may be freed from its engagement with the arm 9 of the clamp, and the latter entirely removed therefrom when desired, .and the lead wire coiled for storage or transportation, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. t Y

The lead or extension wire 7V is provided at its free end with a grounding clamp 19, consisting of a tubular socket member having a set screw 21 for binding the wire therein, after the same has been soldered in the manner of the first described joint, and the clamp 19 is further provided with spaced arms 22, arrangedk one' above j J(he other,v the upper arm being provided with a.

set screw 23 having a swiveled turning arm 24 which is adapted to bind the clamp 19 to one flange of lan angle iron member 25, which usually forms the structure of supporting towers for line wires of this class, as shown in Fig. 2. When the parts are applied .in the manner described, the current may be grounded from the line wire into and through the tower structure, as will be readily understood, and it will also be seen that the pole may be easily and safely detached from the clamp by previously un screwing the thumb-nut 18 while repair work may progress at any point within the safety Zone.

Another use for the device is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, wherein the lead wire 7 is shown .in bridging relation to a terminal insulator 26 of ordinary construction to which is attached the end of the line wire l and having connection with ya stay wire 27 in the usual manner, the free end' of the lead wire 7 being made fast to the stay wire 2.7 by an ordinary clamp or clip 28 provided with a nut and U-bolt 29 for tightening the samek in position.

This arrangement and application of the device makes a very convenient and economical indoor disconnecting switch, and since the terminalof the line wire is usually indoors, the stick or pole may be left permanently attached to the clamp.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a simple, cheaply manufactured andv easily manipulated device for the purpose has'been provided, which may be used in various placesand for various purposes for safeguarding linem'en in the maintenance of line wires of heavy voltage.

Vhat is claimed is 2- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clamp composed of a pair of spring-pressed jaws for engagement with a line conductor, one of said jaws being provided with a socket at its inner side to receive the end of a lead, and a rigid straight arm extending from said jaw below the socket, a pole, and means whereby the latter may be connectedA rigidly but detachably to that face of the arm away from the said lead. n

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clamp, composed of spring-pressed jaws for engagement with a line conductor, of an arm on one of the jaws provided with a keyhole slot, and a pole ctrrying a. headed bolt to engage with said s ot.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clamp composed of a pair of springpressed jaws for engagement with a line conductor, said jaws having their lower portions flaring apart, one of said jaws beingprovided with'a socket at its 'inner side to receive the end of a lead,

said jaws beingextended downwardly beyond said socket 'to form en attaching arm, a pole, and means whereby the pole may be rigidly connected to that face of said arm away from said lead.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pole provided with a headed bolt, and a nut at one end of the bolt, of zt clamp provided with a keyhole slot to receive the head of said bolt end provide for the rigid though detachable connection between the pole and said clamp.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clamp composed of a pair of spring-pressed jaws to engage L line conductor, one of said jews being,` provided on its inner side with a socket, and the other jaw having its lower portion Haring outwardly, a lead in seid socket, a depending arm on the jaw having the socket, e pole, said arm and said pole having coacting means whereby the pole may be secured to the arm for manipulating the clamp but may be detached at will. i

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiixed my signa* ture.

TOMLINSON FORT JOHNSON, Jn. 

